AFC U17 Asian Cup
The now 17-year-old is raring to leave his mark at the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 in the same manner as he did in the Qualifiers, where he nabbed a hat-trick in his side’s 13-0 win over Maldives and helped them top Group C unbeaten.
“I’ve enjoyed assisting my teammates more than scoring since I was young, so midfield felt like the perfect fit for me,” said Kim, who plays for Suwon Samsung’s U18 team.
“I was also inspired to take up this position by players such as Neymar and Korea Republic international Hwang In-beom but I have some ways to go before I reach their calibre.”
He knows there’s more to be accomplished before he can join his idols on the world stage.
“While I'm strong on-the-ball and can easily find space to move forward, I need to brush up on my defensive skills to put myself in a better position.”
Kim fell in love with the game after watching his older brother play elite-level football in Ilsan. He started on the same road at seven and was soon targeted for the national U15 team.
He has participated in four international tournaments to date, but wants the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 to be the one where his team makes the biggest impact.
“We’ve had domestic training camps almost monthly since January, so I’m confident that we’re the strongest team in the tournament.”
He would like to hit five goals here, but that takes a backseat to his short-term aim of helping the two-time champions win another trophy and qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
“But I also have my long-term objective, which is to debut in a professional league as soon as possible, make it to Europe and feature for the national squad.”
Saudi Arabia 2025 could very well be the platform that kick-starts his aspirations.
